Last updated 22.9.2011
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FLU!!!!
It is that time of year again....
Our Walk-in flu clinics are on Saturday 1st October at Northbrook and Saturday 15th October at Dickens Heath. 9.00 to 11.00 am. Feel free to attend either clinic as long as you are over 65 years old or in one of the at risk groups.
At risk groups are, to remind you:
Heart disease
Lung disease (e.g. asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis)
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Immunosuppression (on steroids, chemotherapy, methotrexate or an immune system condition e.g. neutropenia or HIV)
Pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
Diabetes
Neurological disease (stroke, TIA, MS)
We have been informed that amongst these groups those with liver disease and whose immune systems are suppressed are by far the most at risk (scary figures of a 1 in 5 mortality rate for liver disease) so please come and get jabbed! This advice is based on last year's illness figures.
As always, the flu jab will protect against the three most likely flu strains to come our way this winter. That will include swine flu for the third year running. Last year's vaccine was remarkable for being very low in side effects and as there is no flu virus in the jab, just the outer coating, there is no possibility of you catching flu from it.
We have been asked to make particular efforts to vaccinate our own healthcare workers, but if you are both a healthcare worker and in a risk group do let us know when you come as the authorities want to know how many have been vaccinated. If you are not in a risk group, work in health care, and have tried valiantly to get vaccinated by your employer and it is not possible for some reason, please give us a call as we will try to help.
You are also eligible for a flu jab if you are a carer for someone in a risk group or a resident of a longterm residential or nursing care home.
PATIENT PARTICIPTATION/REFERENCE GROUP
We now have a Patient Reference Group who are slowly getting organised. This is composed entirely of patients and although they aim to work alongside the Practice, giving advice and letting us know the views of patients, they are not employed by us and our staff do not tell them what they should do.
They are starting by compiling a survey of patients' opinions based on a survey. Many are/were being given out at Flu clinics, but if you had no reason to be there you will have missed the opportunity to fill one in. They are available to collect from the surgery or you can download one here:
Fill the questionnaire in, then 'save as' on your computer. You can either print it or email it back to us at jaceypractice@nhs.net
(The PRG will have their own email address but they haven't quite got it up and running yet - so in the meantime use the main practice address and we will forward emails to them.). No attempt will be made to identify the questionnaires, and we will pass them on in printed form and delete the email it came from.
The NHS proposed changes
You may be concerned about the media reports of the end of the NHS as we know it. As far as we can tell, the service to patients 'on the ground' is unlikely to change much unless it is for the better - as some of the more interested GPs are genuinely trying to influence areas of health services that have been previously determined entirely by managers who may or may not have ever been doctors.
We are a bit worried about the time this may take doctors away from patients but we all came into medicine to treat patients, not sit in meetings - and if it starts to get in the way too much we (as a profession) will pull away from it.
Appointments
Saturdays
The demand for appointments seems to be increasing exponentially at the moment. We are not entirely sure why but we are trying valiantly to keep up! Hence, as the regular doctors are not able to squeeze any more hours into their day, we have asked one or two of our regular locum doctors to help out alongside one of the regular partners at the Dickens Heath site on Saturday mornings.
Saturdays are a government initiative, hence we are constrained by some rules:
However, we should point out that a new Walk-in centre is now open on Solihull Hospital site. This is open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week including Bank Holidays, staffed by a huge range of health professionals including GPs and they try to see anyone who walks in within 30 minutes. You don't even have to register there. We suspect this is infinitely preferable to turning up at A&E.
Every weekday morning, one of the permanent doctors is on duty for all the problems which arise on the day. The doctor will deal with requests for appointments, visits or telephone queries until 1 pm. However it is much easier for us if the calls come in before 10.00am - so please try to get in touch before then. We guarantee that if you ring in the morning, the doctor will find a way to deal with your problem - whether by offering an appointment with the Duty Doctor that day or the next, or with a specific doctor when available, or by arranging prescription collection or delivery, or organising a home visit. Hence there is no need for a desperate rush to get on the 'phone at 8 am!
Routine appointments and Clinics
This is one of the areas where a Polyclinic cannot compete! If you need to see a particular doctor, for any reason, you will be able to see that person when they have appointments free. We keep most of our surgery sessions in the same place at the same time so you can keep to the same doctor if you wish. We know all the medication you are taking, we know what has agreed or disagreed with you in the past, and we probably know your family, sometimes 3 or 4 generations. All of this enables us to tailor your treatment exactly to your medical needs. We cannot offer 24/7 access to rent-a-doc but we assume that this is not what most people need or want. Time will tell.